OM NAMAH SHIVAY

Shiva is 'shakti' or power, Shiva is the destroyer, the most powerful god of the Hindu pantheon and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Known by many names Mahadeva, Mahayogi, Bhairava, Vishwanath etc. Lord Shiva is perhaps the most complex of Hindu deities. Hindus recognize this by putting his shrine in the temple separate from those of other deities more

Mantras" derived from the Sanskrit 'man', meaning 'to think'. Mantra literally means 'instrument of thought'. Mantras are hymns, which are believed to benefit that chants them. Vedic mantras are said to have been divinely 'heard' (shruti) by ancient sages. These hymns are mostly invocations to the gods for protection against evil, or for assistance in performing one's duties or specific functions. The effectiveness of the mantras is said to depend on the mental discipline involved in its correct recitation, and the accompanying mode of breathing. According to the Agni Purana, if a mantra is recited quietly or in the mind, it is very effective. We here describe some of the most commonly used mantras & shlokas in our daily life.

Lord Shiva is hailed as the destroyer amongst the trinity of Hindu gods. Known by many names like Rudra, Neelkantha, Shankar, Bholenath , the Lord is believed to be the one who is responsible for destruction of the world to create a new world and once again begin the cycle of creation and pro creation. Shiva is one of the unique gods who is both a symbol for ascetics as well as householders. The mantras dedicated to the lord are a way of praying to him. Given below are some of the Shiva mantras with their meanings.

II Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra II

Om Tryambakam yajamahe

Sugandhim pushti-vardhanam

Urvarukamiva bandhanan

Mrityor mukshiya mamritat

This is a very powerful chant dedicated to Lord Shiva. This mantra is believed to be the death conquering mantra and is found in the Rig Veda. The mantra is sometimes also referred to as the Mrita-Sanjivini mantra as it has the power to restore life in a dying person. In this potent mantra the lord is referred to as the three eyed god. It is a plea to him to restore life in the dying body. Worshipping the lord will liberate one from death just like the ripe cucumber is separated from the binding stalk.

II Shiva Mantra II

"Mrutyunjayaaya Rudraaya

Neelakantaya Shambhave

Amriteshaaya Sarvaaya

Mahadevaaya Te Namaha"

O Lord Shiva you are the one who has conquered death and are responsible for destruction of the Universe to let life again prevail on earth. O lord you are Neelkantha as you have a blue throat. We pay obeisance to you O lord with are hands folded in namaskar.

Meaning:Lord Shiva is the consort of Uma (Parvati). Shiva is the divine Guru, the source of the universe. Lord Shiva is decked with snake and wears tiger skin. He is the Lord of all creatures. The three eyes of the lord represent the Sun, Moon and Fire. Shiva is near to Lord Vishnu. Lord Shiva protects all of his devotees. He is the benefactor of boons. We surrender ourselves again and again to Lord Shiva.

Lord Shiva

Shiva is regarded as one of the most important Hindu God and one of the ones in the holy Hindu trinity that makes up Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Whereas, in the holy trinity, Brahma is considered to be the creator and Vishnu the preserver, Lord Shiva wears the mantle of the destroyer.

Lord Shiva was considered by the people of the Indus civilization to be a tribal God, the way before people had heard about the presence of Brahma and Vishnu. Shiva is considered to be a God that is full of uncountable amounts of energy that never deserts him and is not only infinite but also permanent.

The other word for Lord Shiva is Maheshwar and is known to live in the funeral grounds with the ashes all over his body. The way Shiva is portrayed is wearing a tiger hide with a snake twirled around his neck, and perched on a branch. Whenever, Shiva comes across any injustice or evil, then the third eye opens on his forehead and that is supposed to be the end of the evil. The most powerful of Gods, such as Kamadeva have been reduced to ashes when faced with Shiva’s fury.

The abode of Lord Shiva is the Kailash Parvat which is way in the interiors of the Himalayas. The Kailash Parvat is located in the highest of mountains that are cladding by snow most of the time and difficult to reach. Shiva’s consort is Parvati and they have two sons, Lord Ganesh and Subramanya. Shiva has another son called Lord Ayyappa, who is from his liaison with Mohini, who is actually Lord Vishnu in the form of a woman.

Although Lord Shiva lives the way in the Kailash Parvat he has several Hindus, who worship him diligently. The shivlinga is found in the Kailash Parvat and the phallic emblem that resembles creative energy that is infinite. The Shivlinga is worshiped in the form of Shiva.

Shiva has more disciples and worshippers than any other Hindu God. People also worship Shiva in the form of the supreme energy in the form of Natraj. Lord Shiva is known by several different names such as Ganagdhar, Rudra, Neelkanth, Shankar, Gaurishankar, Mahadev to name a few.

Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, he is generally represented as immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Maya, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the lord of the dance.